Friday, November 13, 2015

Transcript of audio, notes on the audio, images, and additional information follow below.

All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 11-12-15.

TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is
Virginia Water Radio for the week of November 16, 2015.

This week, we feature another in a series of episodes on water
research by Virginia students. To start, have a listen for about 25
seconds to this mix of mystery sounds and see if you can guess the serious,
worldwide disease issue that connects the sounds. And here’s a hint:
this microscopic phenomenon is NOT what the doctor MEANT to
order.

SOUNDS - ~25 sec

If you guessed antibiotic resistance by bacteria, you’re
right! You heard bottles of medications, a toilet flush, livestock, a
thunderstorm, and a stream filled with stormwater runoff. All are
connected to the occurrence or spread of certain bacteria that, over time, have
become resistant to antibiotics to which the bacteria have been exposed.
Antibiotic resistance among bacteria that cause human disease is one of the
world’s most serious current health threats, according to the World Health Organization;
and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that annually
over two million Americans are affected by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Streams and watersheds are connected to antibiotic
resistance in two key ways. First, human sewage can contain resistant bacteria
or residual antibiotics; if not completely removed during treatment, the
bacteria and antibiotics can reach waterways and contribute to the spread or
development of more resistant bacteria. Second, resistant bacteria or
residual antibiotics in agricultural animals may be excreted and then reach
waterways through runoff of surface water, particularly during storms.

The role of stormwater runoff and other watershed processes
in spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria is the focus of research by Virginia
Tech Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate student Emily Garner, one
of four Virginia students who received research grants in 2014 from the Virginia Water Resources Research Center.
Working in Stroubles Creek in Blacksburg and in the Cache La Poudre River near
Fort Collins, Colorado, Ms. Garner used DNA-sequencing technology to measure
concentrations of antibiotic-resistant genetic material during and following
storms. By examining mechanisms that control the fate and transport of
antibiotic-resistance genes through watersheds, Ms. Garner’s work may help
identify ways to reduce the spread of resistant bacteria from wastewater and
stormwater runoff.

While Ms. Garner’s research is helping clarify the role of
water and watersheds in spreading antibiotic resistance, what’s already
clear is that citizens’ awareness and practices are crucial to reducing the development
of antibiotic resistance. In fact, the First World Antibiotic Awareness
Week is Nov. 16-22, 2015, and in Virginia, the state Department of Health has a
campaign called “Get Smart Virginia: Know When Antibiotics Work.” Key
messages of such campaigns include using antibiotics only when needed and NOT
for viral infections like colds or the flu; using them only as prescribed by a
physician, or, for animals, under veterinary care; and disposing of unused
medications through a take-back program or through proper landfill disposal,
but NOT by flushing.Thanks to Emily Garner and other Virginia scientists for tackling
water-related challenges posed by the complex world of bacteria and other
microbes.

For more Virginia water sounds, music, and information,
visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org,
or call us at (540) 231-5463. Virginia Water Radio is produced by the
Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of
Natural Resources and Environment. Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo
version of Cripple Creek to open and close the show. In Blacksburg, I’m
Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom,
and good water.

AUDIO NOTES AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The information in this episode was based on Emily Garner’s
report to the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (Water Center) on her
Ph.D. research project, “Effect of storm events on transport of antibiotic
resistance genes in surface water and sediment: Implications for watershed
management.” Ms. Garner’s research is supported
in part by a 2014 grant from the Water Center.

Thanks to Cully Hession, Virginia Tech Department of
Biological Systems Engineering, for providing a recording of Stroubles Creek in
Blacksburg, Va., during flooding.IMAGES

Virginia Tech graduate student Emily Garner sampling in the
Cache la Poudre River near Fort Collins, Colorado, in December 2013 as part of her research
project, “Effect of storm events on transport of antibiotic resistance genes in
surface water and sediment: Implications for watershed management.” Photo courtesy of Emily Garner.

One branch of Stroubles Creek on the Virginia Tech campus in
Blacksburg, during high water from stormwater runoff on September 29, 2015.

On Microbes (specific link: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html): “Microbes are organisms too small for the eye to
see and are found everywhere on Earth. There are many types of microbes:
bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. While most microbes are harmless
and even beneficial to living organisms, some can cause disease among humans,
other animals, and plants. These disease-causing microbes are called
pathogens; ... All types of microbes
have the ability to develop resistance to the drugs created to destroy them,
becoming drug-resistant organisms.”

How Resistance Happens and
Spreads (specific link: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html): “The use of antibiotics is the single most important factor leading to
antibiotic resistance around the world. Simply using antibiotics creates
resistance. These drugs should only be used to manage infections.”

Trends in Drug Resistance (specific link: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html): “Antibiotics are among the most commonly
prescribed drugs used in human medicine and can be lifesaving drugs.
However, up to 50% of the time antibiotics are not optimally prescribed, often
done so when not needed, incorrect dosing or duration. ... Because of the link
the between antibiotic use in food-producing animals and the occurrence of
antibiotic-resistant infections in humans, antibiotics that are medically
important to treating infections in humans should be used in food-producing
animals only under veterinary oversight and only to manage and treat infectious
disease, not to promote growth. The other major factor in the growth of
antibiotic resistance is spread of the resistant strains of bacteria from
person to person, or from the non-human sources in the environment.”

Biggest Threats (specific link: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/biggest_threats.html): “In 2013, CDC published a report
outlining the top 18 drug-resistant threats to the United States. These threats were categorized based on level
of concern: urgent, serious, and
concerning. ...”

From the Virginia
Department of Health, “Antibiotic Resistance,” online at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/Epidemiology/Surveillance/Getsmart/resistance.htm:“Antibiotics are drugs used to treat bacterial infections. Antibiotics are often taken when they are not
needed for colds and flu. This causes the
bacteria to become resistant, which means the drugs used to treat bacterial
infections no longer work or can take longer to work. Almost all common bacterial infections in the
U.S. and worldwide are becoming resistant to antibiotics. Resistant bacteria can cause serious illness
and may be spread from one person to another.“To address this growing public health threat the Virginia
Department of Health is partnering with community and professional
organizations around the state to increase awareness for the growing resistance
to antibiotic medications. The campaign's key messages are [the following]:• Antibiotics are not effective in treating viral infections
like colds, flu and bronchitis.• Antibiotics should be taken exactly as prescribed and only when prescribed by
a physician.“Taking antibiotics inappropriately does more harm than good
and promotes bacterial resistance. Resistant bacteria can stay in your body or
spread to others in your family and community. They can cause severe illnesses
that are difficult and expensive to treat.”

6.7 - natural processes and human interactions that affect
watershed systems; Va. watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; and water
monitoring.

Life Science CourseLS.6 - ecosystem interactions, including the water cycle,
other cycles, and energy flow.LS.11 - relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity.LS.12 – genetic information and DNA.

Earth
Science CourseES.8 - influences by geologic processes and the activities
of humans on freshwater resources, including groundwater and major watershed
systems in Virginia.

Welcome to Virginia Water Radio

This site includes audio files featuring sounds and music that relate to Virginia’s waters, from the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean. Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, which is solely responsible for the show's content. Thanks to George Wills of Blacksburg, Va., for designing the Virginia Water Radio logo.